Under Normal Circumstances
by TheRealFiction981015
Summary: Set during Resident Evil 2 and 3's timelines, but if none of the horrible stuff happened. Follows Leon and his romance with Claire, for the most part. Disclaimer: These are not my characters, just what i'm doing with them. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Under Normal Circumstances

My first story… ever. Set during Resident Evil 2 and 3's timelines, but if the Raccoon City Incident never happened. I'm all for the Leon/Claire

and Chris/Jill pairings, and I really think Capcom should start developing those more personal and intimate relationships between their characters.

I've read quite a few of the stories for the Leon/Claire pairing, so some of my ideas may seem similar to things previously written. I would like to give credit

to these writers for fueling my imagination. Thank you, and I love your work!

Well, hope you guys like it. Be nice to the rookie!

Chapter 1: Late on his first day…

Leon was sure he was going to be severely penalized for this, he thought, just making it into the Raccoon City limits at around 11:00 p.m. He had been driving for

around two hours now, after waking up to his former best friend from a drunken sleep on his porch. The bastard had slept with his bitch girlfriend the day they were all supposed to be celebrating his new entry level position at the well respected R. P. D. offices, which had sent him angrily to the nearby bar in an attempt to

leave it all in the back of his mind. It didn't work, but waking up to their faces after being drunk and unconscious for a few hours hadn't exactly been conducive to leaving them behind either. He now hoped being in a new place could be a fresh start for his hung-over self. So much for a loving, long-distance relationship…

He still had a bit of a drive ahead of him, a little less than an hour, so he cranked up the volume on his Jeep's radio, mellowing out to a "relaxing" song filled with heavy guitar riffs and lyrics about a guy who was being cheated on. "Funny, how the world works," he thought to himself, continuing to drive. A motorcycle, going about twenty miles above the speed limit, rocketed past him. He felt the slight urge to stop this person, but quickly dismissed it. He wasn't a cop yet, and he still had way too much on his mind at the moment, like Chief Irons' reaction when he arrived eight hours late on his first day. He had a feeling that "pursuing a speeding vehicle" wouldn't pan out as a good excuse for his misconduct.

Around 45 minutes later, Leon arrived at his destination. The R. P. D. police station, famous for it's unique architecture, was in full view. The gothic modernist style exuded an aura of refinement. It truly was a beautiful building. He walked through the open front gate and up to two sets of double doors. The inside was just as beautiful, if not more than, the outside. Fine woodworks decorated the doors, the railings, and the counters. a large statue of an angel greeted him just 20 feet from the entrance. He had a feeling he was going to like working here. Leon made his way up a shallow ramp on the left side of the statue, to the front desk. Distracted admiring the stained glass windows, he didn't notice that the man behind the desk had turned his attention from his paperwork to Leon for a few minutes already.

"Sir, may I help you?" the man asked, kindly. Leon, startled by the sudden break in silence, turned his attention over to the man.

"Um, yeah, sorry. Impressive building you guys have here." Leon said, still in a slight state of awe.

" Yeah, it's a great place. When I first got here, I did the same thing you are now. The rumors do not do it justice." The man said. He was a thin, well built individual, with dark ebony skin, short black hair, and light green eyes.

"Yeah, I noticed. What was your name?" Leon asked, hoping to make his first acquaintance here in Raccoon City.

"Marvin Branagh, at your service. Might I ask yours?"

"Leon Kennedy. I'm a new recruit from the Chicago PD"

"Ahhh, so you're the one I've been expecting since 7:00 o' clock?" Marvin said, a hint of laughter in his voice. Leon was VERY embarrassed.

"Yeah, sorry. There was a lot of drama going around just before I left that I had the prestigious honor of dealing with. So, am I totally screwed out of the job?" Leon asked, worried his fresh start might be cut terribly short. He had nowhere else to go.

"No, my friend. You should be fine, if you tell Irons and Wesker the truth. The only thing they both hate equally are liars. Irons is out for the night, but Wesker is probably still in. He always stays later than the others. You should talk to him. I'll take you there." Marvin said, standing up and walking around the curved desk.

"Thanks, Marvin, but who is Wesker, if I might ask?" Leon had never heard of a "Wesker" when he filled out his applicant paperwork, or when he called. The man seemed to have some authority, apparently.

"He's the head of the S.T.A.R.S. initiative. You have heard of S.T.A.R.S. , right?" Marvin asked, curious.

"No, No, I haven't… why?" Leon asked, nervous.

"Hmm, well, you'll find out." He said, laughing mischievously.

Ten minutes and a few teasing comments from Marvin later, Leon was standing out side the S.T.A.R.S. office. The large steel double doors looked like they could lead into an imposing fortress.

"Go on, Kennedy. You'll be fine. Wesker doesn't bite… hard." Marvin said, going into a somewhat tense laughing fit.

"Remind me to get you back for this, Marvin." Leon groaned, irritated and nervous.

"I'll head back downstairs. Let me know what he tells you when you come back down, ok?" Marvin replied, switching the humor out for a more serious tone.

"Right. See you down there." Leon answered, taking a deep breath. As Marvin rounded the corner, Leon opened the door. The room was dark, only lit by one desk lamp on the farthest left side. There was a desk, on which the lamp was set, that someone was obviously seated at. However, this person's chair was facing the wall opposite where Leon was now standing. He couldn't get a clear view of the person.

"Who is it?" a voice rang out, piercing the darkness. This man's voice gave him chills at first.

"My name is Leon Kennedy. I'm a new recruit hailing from the Chicago PD. I was told to come speak to you." Leon said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Ahhh, Mr. Kennedy. I'm very glad you could make it. Now, tell me; why are you over eight hours late for your scheduled reporting time? Just curious." This man's words and tone of voice felt as though they cut straight through Leon. He spoke softly, calmly, even. However, there was an edge. He spoke with a special type of snark and sarcasm, all the while being literal. And, as this man, this "Wesker," turned around to face Leon, the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of his horrible day, was revealed. The man was wearing _sunglasses_ inside. In a practically pitch dark room, with only a dim desk lamp illuminating his surroundings.

"I had a bit of an incident with my now ex girlfriend and my now ex best friend. I got drunk, and passed out on his porch after finding out they were screwing each other the day I was supposed to leave, which I guess would be considered yesterday now. That's the truth, sir." Leon stated, matter of factly. Wesker leaned back in his office chair.

"Very well then, Mr. Kennedy. I appreciate the honesty, and, given the circumstances behind your excessive tardiness, I will allow you to keep the job you applied for. Welcome to the RPD family. I hope you know, however, this forgiveness may not be extended a second time." said Wesker, still speaking pompously, but losing the edge that Leon found so… nerve wracking. Leon inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the kindness. I can guarantee you it will not happen again." Leon said. His hangover was catching up to him, as was his exhaustion.

"It is no major problem, Mr. Kennedy. You can go home for now, but you are expected to return at 7 a.m. on the dot." Wesker replied, in a more tired tone.

And that raised another problem back to Leon's immediate attention. He had nowhere to go in Raccoon City, at all.

"Ugh, damn it. Sir, I'm sorry to ask you for another favor, but I have nowhere to go in the city. Do you know anywhere I can stay for a while until I get an apartment?" Leon asked, cursing himself for not making prior arrangements. Wesker sighed.

"Well, I have a very simple, convenient solution for you Mr. Kennedy. You can sleep here. We have temporary quarters here, at the station, since it's so large. You do not have to pay any rent, and you can stay there until you get a place." Wesker said.

"Again, thank you, sir." Leon replied, yet again relieved.

"Perfectly fine, Mr. Kennedy. Just drop the sir." Wesker said, tiredly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Getting his bearings.

Notes: I'm happy with how this is turning out so far. I changed the rating because later on, there's gonna be more intense violence and some suggested sexuality. I'm hoping to make this a relatively long story, depending on how well received it is. Looking good so far, with three positive reviews making up my entire review base. Thank you, and hope you enjoy. I would've posted this sooner, but I was having problems with file types and all that.

(PS: Two big character intros in this chapter, but no romances yet. Sorry, but no Claire x Wesker. It's an interesting concept, but I'm not really into that one. Kinda creepy.)

Thanks to Wesker's hospitality, Leon slept in the on-site quarters. After speaking with Marvin and giving him the basic summary of what was going on, Marvin gave him copies of the gate and front door keys. After a short but pleasant conversation, Marvin practically forced Leon to get sleep, saying his "pale and sickly looking ass" should get to bed. Leon didn't argue, however. He was exhausted, and he knew it. Marvin escorted him to his room, promised to wake him up at 7 am sharp, and left. Leon fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

The next morning, Leon awoke to a set of heavy clothing being thrown at him. He sat up, groggily looking around. Marvin was leaning on the wall nearest Leon, smiling.

"Welcome to the RPD, Leon." Marvin said, gesturing for Leon to take a look at the clothes that had been used to wake him up. It was an RPD uniform, which consisted of a blue collared button-up, an RPD log patch sewn into the right side of the chest area, and black combat cargos. A magazine holster for the leg, knee pads, and bulletproof vest were also included.

"Hope you brought your own gun and a hosted to go with it, because those weren't included with the kit. That's odd, actually." Marvin stated, puzzled.

"I did, actually. Anywhere I can shower here, by any chance?" Leon replied, still tired.

"You'll want the locker room. I can show you down, if you want."

"Can you, please?" Leon answered, wanting to wash himself clean of yesterday's events.

"Sure, come with me." Marvin motioned for Leon to follow him, as he walked towards and opened the door.

Marvin left Leon to himself as he showered, telling him to meet him at the front desk when he was finished. Leon enjoyed a short, warm, cleansing shower, then dressed in his new, full uniform. It fit him well, except for the shirt's sleeves being slightly too long. He rolled them up just below the elbow, then put on his fingerless tactical gloves. He checked his gun, a Heckler and Koch VP70 that was given to him by his father, making sure it was clean, loaded and ready for use. He packed the rest of his stuff away in the duffel bag he brought with him, and exited the locker room. Suddenly, or at least seemingly so, the halls were bustling with people. On his way to the lobby, he nearly sent someone plummeting down a flight of stairs.

"Oh, shit!" he yelled, panicked.

"Ah, what the-" she started to yell, falling backwards. Leon reached out and grabbed her, saving her from sustaining any serious injury. However, the paperwork she was carrying was a different story. Scattered all over the stairway, Leon realized he had made a mess of this poor woman's stack of papers. Feeling bad, he automatically started to pick them up. He noticed the S.T.A.R.S. Logo on some of them.

"Hey, you know, you could at least let me _help _pick up my own stuff." she said, laughing good natured. Leon hadn't realized he was blocking her from accessing the stairs.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I feel terrible about this. I should've been paying better attention." Leon said.

"It's ok. You're helping, and you aren't being a dick about it either. I haven't seen you around before, what's your name? Mine's Jill Valentine." she said, with a friendly smile.

"Leon. Leon Kennedy. Nice to meet you, Jill." he said, almost finished picking up the papers. When he did finish, he walked back up the stairs and handed her the stack.

"Thank you, Leon. So, how long have been with the RPD?" she asked, still trying to place Leon.

"Well, it isn't any wonder you haven't seen me around. I just got here late last night." Leon replied. Jill was very pretty, he noted. She had short, brunette hair cut into a smooth bob. She had soft facial features and smooth, fair skin. Her eyes were a bright sky blue. She was wearing a similar uniform to his, only she was wearing a fitted blue T-shirt and no vest.

"That explains it. Well, thank you again, but I'd better get going. I need to distribute these to my team." she said, pleasantly.

"Oh, no problem. You're part of S.T.A.R.S., I take it?" Leon asked, curious.

"Very perceptive. Yes, I'm part of Alpha team, under Wesker's command. Have you gotten your assignment yet?" Jill asked, partially assessing the "new blood".

"No, I was supposed to report down to the lobby. I should get going, too actually." Leon replied.

"Ok, well, I don't want to keep you, and I have my stuff to do too, so I'll see you around, Leon."

"Sure, see you around."

Leon and Jill proceeded on their separate ways. Leon got a few warm greetings from some people around, as he made his way to the lobby. Marvin was at the front desk, like he apparently always was.

"Hey, Marvin. So, what'll I be spending my time on the force doing?" Leon asked as he approached. He wanted to get to work as soon as possible.

"Well, Chief Irons approved Captain Wesker's move to keep you, so you'll be getting a partner and starting on the beat. You can probably get to work in about ten minutes. Lemme just page your new buddy and you can get acquainted." Marvin replied, turning to the built in P.A. system in the desk.

"Will Officer Ark Thompson please report to the main lobby. I repeat, May Officer Ark Thompson please report to the main lobby."

Ten minutes or so later, a man wearing a green fitted sweater and jeans walked right past Leon to Marvin's desk. He had a badge pinned on the right side of the sweater.

"So, what's a lll this about Marv? I was just about to head out on my patrol. Got a new assignment for me?" asked the man, who Leon assumed was Ark. He was shorter than Leon, coming in at about six feet, whereas Leon was six foot two. He had short, messy brown hair, and lighter, golden brown eyes. His stubble shed that he hadn't shaved in about three days. He looked very disorganized.

"No, Ark, I've got the new kid on the block for you to work with." said Marvin. Gesturing towards Leon, he continued. "Meet your new partner, Leon Kennedy." Marvin introduced Leon, politely and with a smile. Leon also smiled. Ark glanced at Leon, then back at Marvin.

"Really? How long has it been since the chief stuck me with a partner?" Ark asked, obviously not overly happy about Leon.

"About four years. Anyway, Leon's a good guy. You two should get along fine." Marvin replied, cooly. Ark shifted so he could get a good look at Leon.

"That depends on what he says next" Ark replied to Marvin.

"So, Leon… where do you hail from?" Ark asked

"Chicago. I was on the force there for two years before I came here." Leon replied, calmly.

"How old are you?" was Ark's next question.

"Twenty-one." Leon answered

"Do you have any training?"

"My father trained me from the day I turned fifteen to the day I turned twenty. He was an army ranger that specialized in covert urban combat operations. I'm also SCOUT certified, and I passed the required police academy curriculum with no problems." Leon explained. Both Marvin and Ark looked surprised by this. They were both wondering the same thing: With that kind of training, even if some of it was hand me down, why wasn't he assigned to S.T.A.R.S.? Leon looked at them questioningly. Ark moved forward, towards Leon, and gave him a swift pat on the shoulder.

"Well, I think we'll get along just fine. Let me show you to our 'Custom Interceptor' class vehicle." Ark said cheerfully. As he started to lead Leon outside, he gave Marvin a look, and mouthed the words: 'We need to talk. Soon."

Leon wasn't sure why Ark had suddenly gotten nicer, but he was glad. He didn't want any animosity between him and his new partner. Though he ad a bit of a feeling something was off, he quickly dismissed it as he was introduced to the "Interceptor". It was a beautiful specimen of automobile type transport. It was a metallic black 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T hardtop. The first question on his mind was certain.

"Can I drive?" Leon asked, still gawking at the car.

"I dunno, can you? I wasn't in your driver's ed class." Ark said, with sarcasm and attitude.

"I've had my license for about four years. Let me take her for a spin." Leon asked again. Ark threw the keys at him.

"Better not wreck it. I spent a lot of time and money customizing her, then I had to convince Irons to let me use her. Custom cars are reserved for detectives. You even scratch the scratch resist paint, and I'll put all your training to the test as I beat your ass into the ground." Ark said, half serious, half joking. Leon got in the driver's side seat, and started her up. The rumble this car made was unlike anything Leon had ever heard before. He pulled out of the garage, and went on his first beat patrol of Raccoon City.

Three hours later, he and Ark got a call over the police transceiver. There was a domestic disturbance reported in a nearby neighborhood. Since they were the closest unit, they were the first responders. As they pulled up to a specified address, they heard the familiar crack of a low caliber gunshot. They both leaped out of the car in fast, fluid motions, and pulled their sidearms. Leon had his eighteen round VP70, while Ark had a heavily customized .38 Special revolver. They synced at the front door, and Leon knocked, yelling "Police!"After a few seconds of waiting for a response, Ark kicked the door in. The house, besides being abnormally dark for this time of day, looked like a normal city home for a middle class family. They both walked in, Leon leading and Ark covering their six. Leon called out again: "Hello?! Police!" No response. They continued through the house, eventually coming across the source of the gunshot, and the victims. A man, holding what Leon was certain to be a Beretta 92FS, was pointing his weapon at a woman and two young children. He noticed Ark, and shakily fired a shot at them, yelling: "Get out! Who are all these fucking people in my fucking house!?" The shot barely missed Ark, prompting him to take cover behind a wall near Leon.

"What the fuck is wrong with this asshole?" Ark whispered, angry. The man fired another shot at the wall they were in cover behind. The bullet went through the wall, leaving a hole less than an inch from Leon's head. Now his left ear was ringing with the sound of a bullet whizzing past his head. He had to do something, or they were looking at the possibility of three people ending up dead. He stepped out from behind the wall, and pointed his VP70 at the crazed man. The man responded in kind, and Leon got a good look at the man's face. His eyes were bloodshot, almost completely hiding the whites of his eyes. His pupils were so dilated, Leon could barely tell his eyes were blue. The man was sweating profusely, so much so that his clothes were practically soaked.

"Sir, put the gun down." Leon ordered, dialing in a shot on the man. Leon was prepared to end this, quickly and decisively. He'd deal with the backlash later., he told himself.

"I don't have to do shit you tell me! I'm protecting MY home!" the man yelled. Leon glanced over to the crying woman and children. Their eyes were begging him to do something, and end this. Then Leon heard Ark's voice.

"Leon, watch out!"

The man attempted to charge Leon. He was yelling indistinctly. And, at a moment's notice, Leon fired. The man's tone changed from one of pure rage to screaming and crying out in pain as the 9mm round shattered his kneecap. He fell to the ground, and fainted shortly after.

That's it for chapter two. I promise the romance will start, probably in chapter three or four. I just really want to set it up in a specific way. Thank you for all the kind reviews, and keep 'em coming!


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